Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-03
The DoFuniak Convention.

The DcFuniak Convention.
The convention called TO meet at De
( Funiak, Fla, next Tuesday, to urge
prompt legislation in the matter of coast
! defense ought to be well attended. The
Governors OF Georgia, Florida, South
Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Ten
nessee, Mississippi and Texas have been
requested TO appoint delegates, and the
most Of them have complied with the re-
/ quest. IL iaprobable that all Of them Will
comply with it, and that the convention
Will be 81 large one. 1t 10 TOO late, probs-
bly,, for this convention TO have much in
huence upon the present Congress, but
lts acton can hardly fall TO have weight
with the next Congress-. 1t will show
what public sentiment In the South is
with regard to the coast defense question,
and Southern Congressman will not be
slow to heed the voice OF their section.
The impression appears 10 be very gen.
sral that the work Of building a navy and
Of erecting proper defenses for sescoast
cities ought TO be begun at once, and it is
remarkable that Congress hesltates about
making the necessary appropriations.
There is no difficulty about money. There
is now more money locked in the Treas
ury than Congress knows whatto do with.
The ablest statesmen are trying to dis
cover some satisfactory way TO get rid Of
it. The only reason, probably, that the
House doesn't favor large appropriations
for the building Of a navy and coast
works Of defense, is the fear that the cry
Of extraVagant appropriations will be
raised, and will have a strong Influence
in determining the result Of the next
Presidential election.
Congress knows that the country IS Who'll
ly unprepsred to take bold stand on any
question which may involve the country
in war. When Representative Lawler
introduced a resolution into the House
on Monday, requesting the President to
state whether the country is in a condi-
ton to invite war with England, r ep-
resentaliye Bragg objected on the ground
that the effect Of IL was TO show how
defenseess the country is.
Representative Bragg's oh lection, how
ever, was without force, because the entire
civilized world knows exactly the strength
Of our army and navy, and also the de.
fenseless condition of our seaport cities.
Only few days ago Admiral Porter pub
lished letter in which he showed that
the only war vessel the country has, that
Is fit for service, is the Dolphin. Few OF
the others are in condition for active SER
vice, and those which are could hardly be
used against the iron clads OF which the
navies OF the other naval powers of the
world are composed.
1t is tsct that ought not to pass un
noticed that even little power like Chilli
has much more powerful navy than this
country, and weak Spain, although she
has now a navy ten times as powerful as
ours 10, has just voted $45, 0O0,0 900 to In
crease the number of her naval vessels.
Every city along our coast is to a
greater or less extent deieuseless. If
war should come suddenly all the great
seaport cities would be at the mercy of
the enemy. The stone forts which guard
the entrance to some OF our harbors would
offer little more resistance than straw to
the powerful guns with which the iron
clads are armed.
1t is not surprising that the press of
C"hoNAN iNe5 "l"S tue optCNuGb VI DtndtOEb
on the retaliation bill as so mucn bun
combe. 1t is known in Canada and in Eng
land Just how defenseless our condition
is. Although the richest nation in the
world we are almost wholly without the
means OF defending our riches. II Eng
land remains arm this country will hard
ly dare to take such steps with respect to
the fishery issue as will invite war
at present. II it is the purpose of
Congress to compel Canada TO treat
American fishermen with justice, it can
do no wiser thing than TO make liberal
appropriations at once for manufacturing
guns, building war ships and erecting
coast defenses.